1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pick-up style utility vehicle which can expand a cargo bed forward so as to optimize the area or capacity of a cargo bed space and a passenger space according to the needs of users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present, utility vehicles of various styles are used. In addition to pick-up style utility vehicles with a relatively large cargo bed behind a seat, there are straddle-type all terrain vehicles having a handle bar, or the like.
Typically, the pick-up style utility vehicles are more practical than the handle bar type utility vehicles belonging to the straddle-type all terrain vehicles. The pick-up style utility vehicles are used for hunting in fields and mountains, conveyance of lumber, movement in golf courses, golf course maintenance, and other applications.
The present applicant has formerly applied the inventions relating to the pick-up style utility vehicle with a cargo bed whose area or capacity can be expanded. Their applications have been filed. For instance, there are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,905,159, 6,994,388, and 7,249,798.
The configuration of the pick-up style utility vehicle disclosed in the respective documents includes a front seat including a driver's seat, a rear seat, and a cargo bed in this order from front. The rear seat is changed between the used state and the retracted state so as to be switched between 2 passengers transformation and 4 passengers transformation. Therefore, in 2 passengers transformation, the front portion of the cargo bed is expandable to a riding space occupied by the rear seat in the used state.
In addition, a screen shield is typically provided at the front end of the cargo bed of the pick-up style utility vehicle so as not to move loads loaded in the cargo bed into the riding space in front of the cargo bed. The position of the screen shield is required to be changed between 2 passengers transformation expanding the cargo bed forward (the expanded form of the cargo bed) and 4 passengers transformation not expanding the cargo bed (the unexpanded used form).
A cabin frame surrounding a cabin of the pick-up style utility vehicle integrally includes, for example, a pair of left and right front side frame bodies, a pair of left and right rear side frame bodies, and cross frame members coupling the front and rear side frame bodies. In 2 passengers transformation expanding the cargo bed forward (the expanded form of the cargo bed), the existence of the rear side frame bodies obstructs load loading and unloading, and this leads to a problem that it is difficult to widely use the cargo bed.